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Updated May 29th, 2022 at 08:01 IST

Bill Gates hails India's COVID vaccination drive, says it 'Offers many lessons for world'

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates hailed the COVID-19 vaccination drive of India during a meeting with Union Health Minister at the WEF in Switzerland's Davos

Reported by: Vidyashree S
Bill Gates
Image: PTI/@mansukhmandviya/Twitter | Image:self
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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Saturday hailed the COVID-19 vaccination drive of India during a meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland's Davos. The billionaire entrepreneur stated the success of India's vaccination drive offers 'many lessons for the world'. 

Bill Gates said, "It was great to meet Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and exchange perspectives on global health. India's success with the vaccination drive and the use of technology to drive health outcomes at scale offers many lessons for the world."

While Mansukh Mandaviya took to Twitter to share about meeting with Bill Gates and wrote, "A pleasure to interact with Bill Gates at WEF22. He appreciated India's success in COVID-19 management and mammoth vaccination efforts."

The Union Minister further wrote, "We discussed a wide range of subjects relating to healthcare including the promotion of digital health, disease control management, creation of mRNA regional hubs, and strengthening the development of affordable and quality diagnostics & medical devices, etc."

It is to be noted that Bill Gates on May 11 announced that he tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to Twitter, the billionaire entrepreneur who has been vaccinated with two shots against the virus informed that he is experiencing mild symptoms of the infection. 

India's COVID vaccination drive

In India, two vaccines Covishield, and Covaxin were granted emergency use authorization by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) while Sputnik - V has been granted EUA in the month of April 2021.

Initially, the Government of India decided to vaccinate a group of people who are at higher risk of infection. Based on the potential availability of vaccines, healthcare and frontline workers were the first group chosen to provide vaccines. The second group to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was the persons over 60 years of age and persons between 45 and 59 years of age with comorbid conditions. While people above the age of 45 years are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine from 1 April 2021. All eligible citizens above the age of 18 years could get the COVID-19 vaccine from 1 May 2021. 

To date, India has administered a total of 1,93,18,21,710 COVID vaccine doses under the National Vaccination Drive. 

(Image: PTI/@mansukhmandviya/Twitter)

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Published May 29th, 2022 at 08:01 IST

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